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Matthias Jäger
|profession=*Scientist *Alchemist |allegiances=The Third Reich }}Doctor Matthias Jäger was a mysterious Nazi alchemist who desired to use the powers of the Philosopher's Stone in 1947 to resurrect an army of Nazi soldiers and return the Third Reich to its former glory, after its then-recent downfall in World War II. Biography Following the end of World War II, Dr. Jager became known for conducting reanimation experiments. In 1947, Jager employed a variety of henchmen ranging from ordinary thugs to former SS troopers, chief among them was the fanatically loyal Dunkelvolk. His face was hideously disfigured and corpse-like,Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide, Master Plan, Pg. 111 which earned him the nickname, "The Monster of Minsk". Unfortunately for Jäger, he and his goons ran afoul of two foes: Major Nadia Kirov, who had long pursued him for his past crimes in the war, and American archaeologist Indiana Jones, who was also searching for the Philosopher's Stone to keep it out of the fascists' hands.Indiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix Despite these setbacks, Dr. Jäger successfully acquired the parts of the stone, captured both Nadia and Indy, and attempted to unify the stone fragments in a ceremony under the full moon.Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide, Master Plan, Pg. 111 It was partially successful as the corpses of deceased Nazi officers were waking up, but Dr. Jäger was not pure of heart to wield the Stone and was disintegrated by its awesome power, taking the zombies with him. Personality and traits In addition to being a fanatical follower of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, Matthias Jäger was so consumed with restoring the "former glory" that Germany had lost in World War II, that upon learning about the possible existence of Philosopher's Stone, he became determined to find it and see his country's rebirth despite his allies' skepticism about the supernatural. A twisted and wicked individual, Jäger was a person without a pure heart, not caring who he would have to kill to get what he wanted. However, Jäger's way of being ultimately cost him his life: upon trying to resurrect his fallen comrades, the Stone recognized his dark heart and judged him unworthy of holding it, disintegrating him with its awesome power. Behind the scenes Matthias Jäger bears resemblance to Adolf Hitler in Indiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix. The comic was adapted from a shelved LucasArts game of the same name where the Nazis try to resurrect Hitler himself from his ashes after World War II, which may have influenced this appearance. While Jäger's role in the original Iron Phoenix story is largely the same as that in the comic book, there were some differences that did not make it into the published story. Although he retained his nickname as "The Monster of Minsk", Jäger was not disfigured and had a personal connection to Nadia Kirov in that he was directly responsible for her family's death at a concentration camp. His dream was to resurrect Adolf Hitler specifically which brings about his own demise as he successfully revives the Führer in Bolivia only to be killed by the transformed Hitler in a single blow for bringing him back with no military with which he can reclaim his power. Instead, it was Hitler who was the one to be killed by the power of the Philosopher's Stone.Iron Phoenix Design Doc. at Aric's World Appearances *''Indiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix'' Sources *''Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide'' Notes and references Category:Characters appearing in comics Category:Deceased Category:Nazis Category:Scientists & Engineers Category:Nazi military personnel Category:Germans